Some construction projects seem to go faster than usual, and then there is American Family Housing’s project in Midway City, which seems more like the blink of an eye.
The foundation for the apartment building was poured last month. The last of its 65 units was in place on Thursday, Aug. 27.
And not just the skeleton of the units; they come complete with windows and flooring, lighting and HVAC systems, down to the refrigerator and cabinetry in the kitchen.
The complex won’t be move-in ready for several more months, but by using prefabricated, modular units, the housing nonprofit expects the affordable housing project to be done in under a year and with cost savings of tens of thousands of dollars per unit compared to a traditional complex of a similar size.
This project will provide for-rent affordable housing for individuals and small families in lower-income brackets, as well as people who were formerly homeless, with support services available.
CalOptima, the administrator of public health care insurance for the county’s lowest-income residents, helped American Family Housing with nearly $2.5 million in funding for the project, part of its “housing is health” initiative. The OC Health Care Agency is partnering to provide the “wraparound services” for the residents, and the county has helped with loan funding and housing vouchers.
There are projects where prefabricated units aren’t feasible or cost-effective, Milo Peinemann, CEO of American Family Housing, said, who also recognized that developers take on more risk before a project starts because the prefab units have to be ordered and deposits paid to secure time on the assembly line, which can be difficult for some.
But there are lots of situations where prefab, modular units would be a great option, Peinemann said, and he’s been championing their use.
“The community needs to find ways to say yes to what we do,” he said. “It helps everyone to see a future.”
Peinemann is also excited by new legislation in the state that should make it easier for more projects to choose the modular unit route and for manufacturers to open in California, he said. These units were shipped from a manufacturer in Idaho. A team from the nonprofit went out to approve the first unit and was able to ask for adjustments before the rest were built and driven out to Santa Ana, where they waited the last few months.
The nonprofit completed a similar project, the 71-unit Casa Paloma, less than a block away in 2022, believed to be the first in Orange County. Peinemann said those involved have improved the process since, and this project in Midway City, to be called Casa Colibri, has been moving even more quickly.
The 65 modular units were stacked up in about a week, Peinemann said. “They stack these like Legos.”
Now crews will wrap the building to be watertight and install its facade, add the doors, complete the hallways connecting the units and plug them into the power, water and other utilities. Because of the dynamics of the property, more time will be needed than usual on outside landscaping, and there is a community building that will still be constructed. But the homes should all be filled by July, Peinemann said.
“If you plan, you can do this in a lot of spots,” he said. “It really simplifies a lot of complicated logistics.”
